Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-17
THE NUMBER SEVEN.
1tHas Played m Important Pars In the
History % an Nations.
From the PhilAdelphia News

From the Philadelphis News
The number seven Is. however, one OF the most
singular OF all the digits and the part that &c
plays In ancient, popular and natural history Is
surprising 70 one who has never known the racts
For instance. among the Babylonians the yod OF
the number seven received peculiar honor, and
when the Chaldean Noah had escaped from the
deluge his nrst act was 70 build altar ami set
seven vessels on as many fires The famous chal-
dean witch had 10 be subdued by being bound
with cord tied with 7x7 magic knots And q
sick man had 70 be anolnted seven times with
purifying OIL In the Chaldean scriptures the DEL
uge lasted seven days, the gates 20 Hades were
seven in number and seven nsh-like men were sail
TO have asce nded out OF the Persian Gulf 70 teach
the arts 70 the antediluvian Baby lonians.
In the ancient theory OF mystical numbers, from
which 50 many OF our luck signs are derived four
was significant OF natural and thres OF the spirit
ual world, and one OF the old occult philosophers
writes: 'The number seaven, therefore. because IL
consists OF three and four 1oyns the soul Co the
body" The same writer says elsewhere: "1he
number seaven Is OF various and N Nnifold power
Ia the theory Of the occult philoso hers the aum-
Der seven plays a most important part In the life
OF man, and this Is the way they divide man
years After the FIRST seven days an infants eyes
can bear the light after twice seven days &c seeks
the Light in the third seven Jays II turns is head
freely. AFTER seven months it gets teeth; after
the second seven months it sits without fear OF
railing; after the third seven months Il begins 10
speak. After the fourth seven months IL stands
strongly and walks AFTER the NTH seven months
II 70 weansd After seven years IL loses ITS first
teeth. After the second seven years comes the
change from boy hood TO youth Al the third seven
years the change from youth TO manhood. After
| OF stature. In the NTH seven years a man Is In
his prime OF strength. The sixth seven years they
retain retail Their strength. The seventh seven years
| perfect age OF men But when they come 10 the
| tenth seven years they reach the turn OF lie.
Plato In the Tlmacus. also says that God creates
The alchemists. too. laid much stress on the
number seven. inasmuch as that was the number OF
their famous bodies" Gold Tor the sun, silver for
the moon, iron for Mars, quicksilver Tor Mercury,
lead for saturn, tin for Jupiter and copper for
Venus. The champions OF Christendom were
drew for Scotland 81. Patrick for Ireland, St
David for Wales, ST. Denys for France, ST. James
sins are seven In number, as are also the virtues
Rome was the seven-hilled city; the senses are
| also accounted to be seven In number. Then
there are the Seven sorrows OF Mary, the seven
times that Christ spoke on the cross, the seven
wise men or Greece and the seven wonders OF the
world. In the life OF Rien1 the number seven
plays very curious part. IL was on the seventh
day OF october that his foes yielded 70 his power.
| For seven months he reigned Tribune. Seven
exile ana during sesen weeEs after f his RETURN he
had no enemies His return, by the way, TOOK
place on october z. The number OF crowns
awarded him by the Roman converts and councils
Here, also, from another source, Is an odd use OF
this number. Frederick |, OF Germany, who Is
|
| ing TO tradition, never died, but Is sleeping In
kynhaueserberg In Thuringia, once In seven years
changes his position Charlemagne also starts In
his chair from sleep once In seven years Ogier,
the Dane clangs his iron mace on the noor once IN
every seventh year, and Olaf Redbeard, of sweden,
be known to many people that Wales also boasts
| OF seven wonders: They are snowdon, Pystyl
Rhaiadr Waterfall, St winifred's Well, oyerton
Churchya ard, Grisford Church Bells, Wrexham
| Steeple and Liangollen Bridge.
But II Is In the Scriptures that this number APP
pears oftenest as OF special significance. Among
the Hebrews the word for swearing IS "septenare,
| or protest by seven Abraham, you VIII remem-
| Der, appointed seven eve lambs as his testimony
TO the covenant with Abimelech. The Creator
rested from his work ON the seventh day, and this
day was called sabbath, or seventh. leprous
person was either to battle seven times. or be
spr1nkled seven times with the blood OF sparrow.
| Seven years was the period for repentance. Every
| seven years the Hebrew servant demanded liberty
| for himself. And the Prophet praised God seven
times a day. Cain, we are told, was TO be reyenged
seven-fod. The gifts OF the Holy Ghost were said
| TO be seven in number and In the presence OF the
Almighty seven angels stand, as we are toid IN
throughout the whole book OF Revelations the
number seven is constantly used. Jacob served
| seven years for Leah and seven more for Rachel
Then there are the seven ears OF corn and the
| seven kline. IL was seven people that possessed
the land or promise In Deuteronomy and the story
OF Sampson tells how be Kept his nuptiais seven
| days and then was bound with seven green withes.
Here Is also what Ivy has 70 say on this subject:
e he a am then a things
The seventies of all things original
The FRS: seventh, seventh heaven we call
Perfect, with wandr ing stars the beavers 'voved
And with 30 many circles Is round rolld
Among the occultists again there are In the seven
planets seven birds, seven fish, seven animals,
seven metals and seven stones. Seven habits tions
| likewise OF the Intervals are described 10y the
Rabbi Joseph, the Cabast OF Castillo, In the Gar-
| den OF Nuts"
This number entered very largely In the Egyp-
| tian ordinances and worship. The feast OF April
| lasted seven days OSIRIS was killed when 7xi
years old: his body was cut In 1X2 pieces; their
priests OF the dead were 7Y6, and their period OF
modification 1x6 days; 7Xl0 days was the dura-
| ton OF mourning for the dead. Among the Brah-
| minis the great cosmic egg, which contained Brah-
ma, broke In twain, and one part formed the seven
| realms OF heaven and the other the seven regions
| Of